Articles
Effect of ultrasound-assisted extraction on yield and physicochemical properties of pectic polysaccharides from Opuntia ficus-indica cladodes
Article number
1466_24
Pages
195 – 204
Language
English
Abstract
Opuntia ficus-indica (prickly pear cactus), a South African underutilised plant, is a rich source of bioactive compounds, including pectic polysaccharides.
Pectic polysaccharides (PPs) are beneficial compounds for drug delivery systems in pharmaceuticals, with emerging applications as prebiotics in synbiotic products to support gut health.
The plant material and extraction method significantly influence the quality of PPs.
Therefore, the present study evaluated the effect of ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) using acidified water (pH 2, citric acid) as a solvent (40, 60, 70°C; 60 s) of PPs from O. ficus-indica cladode parts (mucilage, peel, and fibre) on the yield, moisture content, lightness, solubility, water holding capacity and degree of esterification.
The results showed that extraction conditions significantly affected the yield and quality of the extracted PPs, with low to moderate temperature (40-60°C) showing promising results for the extraction of PPs from mucilage; however, a comprehensive characterization, including monosaccharides, molecular weight, and metabolites profiling, is still needed for a more objective conclusion.
Pectic polysaccharides (PPs) are beneficial compounds for drug delivery systems in pharmaceuticals, with emerging applications as prebiotics in synbiotic products to support gut health.
The plant material and extraction method significantly influence the quality of PPs.
Therefore, the present study evaluated the effect of ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) using acidified water (pH 2, citric acid) as a solvent (40, 60, 70°C; 60 s) of PPs from O. ficus-indica cladode parts (mucilage, peel, and fibre) on the yield, moisture content, lightness, solubility, water holding capacity and degree of esterification.
The results showed that extraction conditions significantly affected the yield and quality of the extracted PPs, with low to moderate temperature (40-60°C) showing promising results for the extraction of PPs from mucilage; however, a comprehensive characterization, including monosaccharides, molecular weight, and metabolites profiling, is still needed for a more objective conclusion.
Publication
Authors
P.L. Mukwevho, T. Kaseke, T.M. Pfukwa, F. Seke, O.A. Fawole
Keywords
extraction, bioactive compound, synbiotic product, prickly pear, prebiotics
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